‘I already did, when we talked yesterday. Longer than tomorrow.’

‘But after that?’

‘What do you really want him to do?’ Santa asked thoughtfully

‘Stay as long as possible.’

Santa looked at him keenly. ‘Are you hoping I’ll wave a magic wand?’

But his thoughtful son shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘He has to want to, or there’s no point.’

‘That’s right,’ Santa agreed. ‘You can’t make people choose what you’d like them to.’

‘You mean he doesn’t really want to stay with us?’

‘Oh, yes, he does. You’re his family, and he loves you all more than anything else on earth, even if he doesn’t always show it very cleverly. But he got confused and other things got in the way. Now he’s trying to find the way back to the place where he took the wrong turning, but it isn’t easy. The road seems different when you’re looking backwards. But you could help him.’

‘How?’

‘I can’t tell you that. You have to sense it for yourself. But you will. Don’t worry.’

Santa indicated the tree.

‘Have you got your presents sorted out?’

‘Yes. I got a scarf for Mum and a picture book for Mitzi.’

‘And your dad?’

‘Well-I got him a pair of cufflinks.’

‘It sounds like a good choice, so what’s the problem?’ Bobby’s voice had hinted that all was not well.

‘I got him something else too, but I’m not sure if I should give it to him.’

‘If it’s from you, he’ll love it,’ Santa said without hesitation. ‘You can rely on that.’

‘Can I show it to you?’

‘That would be really nice.’

‘It’s upstairs.’ Bobby went to the door, then hesitated. ‘You won’t go away?’

‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’

Bobby vanished and reappeared a moment later with a large, flat object that he put into Santa’s hands, switching on a side lamp so that he could see.

It was a picture of a family sitting under the trees by water, evidently having a picnic. There was a man in a red shirt, a woman in a green and white dress, a small boy of about five and a toddler in a pink dress. It had been painted in water-colours by an inexperienced but talented hand.